


When you are with me

by stubsel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Ardyn is a dick, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Hurt, M/M, Mind Control, no beta we die like men, shit happens, who even cares about canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 23:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12692754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stubsel/pseuds/stubsel
Summary: - One is mind controlled and forced to fight the other- The other refusing to harm them and getting seriously injured as consequence- The person coming to and seeing what they’ve done





	When you are with me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rainbowturtle2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowturtle2/gifts).



> i know very well that this makes absolutely no sense canonically but?????? canon can get fuk'd
> 
> \- - -
> 
> based on a [tumblr post](https://quirk-y.tumblr.com/post/167255690266/angsty-romantic-cliches-im-a-slut-for-holding)

 

To say he was worried was a wild understatement. Noctis had been in there for what felt like an eternity but it couldn’t compare to how long Prompto must’ve been trapped. His phone had died ages ago and with it the sense of time. Days blurred together with no telling of day and night with the lack of windows all over the place. It was a complete all absorbing darkness, only broken through by unnatural neon lights and the screeching of MTs in the distance.

Gods he _hated_ the place.

Not as much as Prompto must hate it though.

As he continued his way through pitch black corridors, barely dodging traps and MTs, not knowing if he even walked in the right direction, he learned to understand Prompto’s fear of cramped dark places. He wasn’t so sure either if he’d ever set foot back into a cave.

He just wanted to get over with this. Every step he took felt like a step backwards. It didn’t seem like he was making any progress at all, every corridor looked exactly like the last, branching off to others that looked just as identical. How the MTs kept finding him was beyond him. Maybe he just had awful luck and kept running into them on his own. As he cut down another pair of mechanical enemies he was pretty sure it was just his bad luck.

Another step, another corner rounded and he found himself in another hallway that was lit up by yet the same neon lights. But it led to a break room with beds. He just wanted to rest, wanted to close his eyes for just a few minutes. Walking over was painful, exhaustion gripping him and holding him close as he struggled to set one foot in front of the other. He just had to sit down for a few minutes. Nothing more. Just a few minutes, he told himself as the doors shut behind him and he sat down on the hard mattress. Just a few minutes.

 

\- - - - -

 

When he woke up, Noctis was lying sideway on a greasy mattress, not remembering how exactly he’d gotten there. He closed his eyes again, feeling himself drift before his memories came back with a start and he almost _jumped_ out of the bed, running towards the door to get out of the room, to find Prompto. He had no idea how much time had passed but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t turn back time anyway. He just had to look onward, keep moving, moving, _moving_ ever forward one step at a time.

Ardyn had been awfully quiet this entire time and Noctis couldn’t say if he was grateful or unnerved.  Of course he was glad not to have to listen to the other mock him but at the same time… that probably meant he was otherwise occupied.

He couldn’t be far now. Noctis had a plan, a slight idea to where Prompto was kept. He could only hope that he was right, that his studying of the maps would pay off.

It wouldn’t.

At the end of a long long hallway stood a door, slightly ajar, suspicious in it’s quality of being a regular door. Nothing mechanic could be found about it. And it was left open. Everything about this setup screamt trap but he couldn’t leave it be. He had to at least check, right?

The door creaked as it was pushed open to reveal a black room, completely covered in darkness. Once again there were no windows and the walls and floor seemed to be made of metal. Noctis leant his upper body inside, trying to get a better look as he let his hand slide along the wall in search of a lightswitch.

Noctis found something small sticking outside the wall and flipped it over. A second later the light flickered on and covered the room in an unnatural neon light. Just like every other room. There was a difference though. Unlike any other room or hallway Noctis had encountered along his way, this one was completely empty save for something dropped in the middle of it. It seemed to be human shaped and Noctis’ first instinct was to turn and run, expecting it to be a MT. But it didn’t move.

Upon further inspection Noctis realized just what exactly was sitting in that room. All care and sense of security thrown out of the metaphorical window, he ripped open the door the rest of the way and warped over to the lump sadly cowering on the floor. There was no blood, which he was grateful for, but the face was so unnaturally pale and he couldn’t see any kind of movement, not even the rise and fall of the other’s chest, leading to his worst assumptions. When he leaned down to check the pulse though, the illusion lifted and what was left was nothing but the remains of a broken MT.

Noctis fell to his knees, punching the floor in frustration and screamed.

Just as he thought that it couldn’t get any worse he heard the door fall shut and lock behind him. He was trapped. And just as he really thought that it couldn’t get worse he heard the static sound followed by Ardyn’s voice over the intercom.

“Aww is the little prince disappointed? But do not worry. Your dear friend isn’t as far as you might think.” Ardyn’s voice was dripping with the grin he undoubtedly wore on his face. Noctis turned towards the door and froze for a split second before slowly getting back to his feet again. He wanted to hope so badly that this time it was real, that Prompto was standing at the door, watching him with distant eyes. That it really was Prompto, that he’d found him. They’d only have to find Gladio and Ignis and then get the hell away from there. It’d be okay.

“I hope you don’t mind that I taught dearest Prompto here a thing or two about staying true to himself.”

Before Noctis could even react, before he could ask what the hell Ardyn meant by that. Before he had even drawn in the breath needed to release any sound at all, he felt a gunshot graze his shoulder, just slightly.

Prompto had just shot him.

His best friend, _boyfriend, lover,_ had pointed a weapon at him and _fired_.

This couldn’t be real, couldn’t be Prompto. It couldn’t be.

Noctis put his hand to his shoulder and when he drew back it was covered in a thin layer of blood. It wasn’t a serious injury by all means, at least not physical.

“H-Hey, Prom?” His voice was weak, strained almost. For a second he wasn’t sure if the other had heard him but then a small smile spread on Prompto’s lips. It was a tiny smile, barely there but before Noctis could sigh in relief it was gone again, replaced by the blank mask he seemed to be wearing.

There was no life on Prompto’s face. This was wrong, so wrong. Noctis thoughts went into overdrive when Prompto readied his gun again. He felt the pull of magic as Prompto fired over and over again, the connection between them still there. He could feel Prompto’s presence, there was no doubt that this was the real Prompto. That this was really happening.

The thought of cutting their connection never once crossed his mind, even if it meant that Prompto would run out of bullets. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he could feel Prompto again, could sense his presence just _there_ and he wouldn’t throw that away, for no price in the world. Even if that price was his own life.

His thoughts were clouded from exertion. The exhaustion of the past days only added to the strain that continuously dodging bullets brought him. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up. He was _tired_ , sad and confused. If only he hadn’t fallen asleep, if only he’d been faster, maybe then Prompto would still be himself, really himself.

He couldn’t allow himself to dwell on the past though, when getting slower was becoming a real threat to him. He could feel exhaustion getting a hold of his limbs, slowing him down until the bullets pulled at his clothing, leaving behind scrapes and cuts along his skin.

Summoning the armiger was his last way out.

Tears stung his eyes as he called to the foreign magic resting within him, glittering shadows of weapons circling around him, blocking bullets aimed at the prince. Protecting him.

Slowly, on unsteady feet he made his way to Prompto, staggering and stumbling along the way. Tears prickling at his eyes and threatening to spill over as he looked at his friend who still looked at him with a blank face. His eyes had a red glittering to them, fading into the blue, making them shine in an unnatural bright purple. He didn’t look like Prompto at all. The freckles were hidden underneath dried blood and bruises that continued down his neck, shoulders and arms. Noctis was sure there were more hidden under the clothes.

When Prompto realized that Noctis was walking towards him, cornering him, it was already too late. He had nowhere to go and Noctis just hoped, prayed, that it would be enough to have Prompto let go. Noctis held onto the last bit of hope that still lay buried deep inside him. He just wanted Prompto back. He’d do anything.

Prompto let his hands drop to his sides, dropping the guns which disappeared into a flurry of blue light before they hit the ground. His mask seemed to crumble. Prompto dropped his head, his shoulders shaking as if he was trying not to cry. Noctis knew this gesture all too well, had seen it way too many times for his liking.

“Hey, Prom…” Noctis’ voice was calm, even as he struggled for air, still winded from their game of tag. “Prom, it’s okay. It’s over. I got you.”

He stepped closer to Prompto until he could reach out a hand to gently rest on Prompto’s shoulder. The Armiger was still circling around them, draining Noctis’ energy further. They were save now. Prompto snapped out of it, resting his head on Noctis’ shoulder while Noctis rubbed soothing circles in the small of Prompto’s back. They’d be alright.

Prompto held onto Noctis’ shirt as if his life depended on it, digging his nails into the fabric and Noctis’ skin. It was almost painful. None of it mattered though, because they were there, together. It was going to be alright.

Noctis let out a heavy sob, from relief and exhaustion and pulled Prompto down with him as he slowly slid to the floor. He was about to finally dismiss the Armiger that still kept draining his magic when suddenly Prompto’s grip tightened, curling an arm painfully around Noctis’ chest. He felt the slight pull of magic before he felt the pain of something sharp lodged into his side.

It really couldn’t get worse from here.

Noctis let out a pained whine, too tired to scream and tried to press his hand over the wound. The armiger disappeared and with it the weapon Prompto had just used to stab him. Now the blood had nothing to stop it from seeping out, through each layer of clothing before reaching Noctis’ shaking hand. The pain was all consuming, spreading from the wound outwards and wrapping him up as a whole.

He slumped forwards, leaning heavily against Prompto who struggled to get away and back to his feet. Over everything the static sound of the intercom filled the air, followed by Ardyn’s laughter.

“Oh, isn’t this just delightful?”

Prompto shoved Noctis away, who fell backwards to the ground, curling in on himself. Prompto got back to his feet and jumped back, his back hitting the wall. He stared down in terror. His hands shook as he grasped his hair, legs trembling and threatening to give out under him.

No.

No no no no no no no.

“The chosen king. Fallen by the one who is most important to him. What a cruel fate, isn’t it?”

This couldn’t be real. Why didn’t he remember? He couldn’t remember anything! He didn’t do this, no. This couldn’t be his doing. He would never hurt Noctis. Never.

“And he never even fought back.”

Noctis let out a small whine. There was no reason for him to be strong anymore. There was no danger there, just Prompto and he felt nothing but relief. Thank the gods Prompto was back to normal again. He was save.

It was okay.

Prompto finally came back to his senses, jumping forward to Noctis’ side, kneeling down at his side and frantically tried to pry Noctis’ hand away.

“Noct, come on buddy, hang in there, it’s okay, don’t give up on me now.” He ripped the bandana off his arm and pressed it to Noctis’ side who let out another whine. “It’s okay Noct, I got you.” When he noticed the bandana wouldn’t be enough, he took off the vest and added it to the wound.

“Prom…” Noctis’ vision was blurry, foggy around the edges, but he still struggled to focus on Prompto. A small smile formed on his lips.

“I’m so glad.”

Noctis let out a small sigh before he went limp in Prompto arms.

“Noct?” Prompto gently nudged Noctis’ shoulder but received no reaction. “Hey, Noct.” Another nudge but still nothing. Tears spilled over, running down his cheeks and dropping to the ground, staining Noctis’ shirt underneath him.

“Come on buddy, this isn’t funny.”

Prompto pressed his face to Noctis’ chest. This wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t he remember? Why did he never take care of their stock of potions why couldn’t he just be useful for once? His shoulders shook with the sobs ripping through his body. His fingers dug painfully into the back of Noctis’ shirt, holding him close.

Even with his head pressed against Noctis’ chest he couldn’t hear a heartbeat, couldn’t feel the chest rising and sinking with his breath. There was absolutely no sign of life left. With a start Prompto started screaming in agony, wailing in absolute terror of holding his dead lover.

And then, as if it couldn’t get any worse, someone broke open the door by pure force. Gladio and Ignis stormed into the room, Gladio led Ignis directly to Prompto who still held Noctis, not caring that he was sitting in their blood. Nothing mattered at all.

Everything seemed to happen so slow. Prompto felt like he was submerged in water, or no, something more dense, like jelly. His movement was slow, his hearing dull and his vision foggy. But when he felt Gladio trying to pry Noctis from his hands, he faught. Gladio couldn’t have him. No one could.

“No. Leave us alone, go away.” His voice was thin and didn’t carry the force that he wanted it to, but he was so tired, so exhausted. He didn’t want this anymore. He didn’t know how to go on without Noctis.

“What happened?” That was Ignis’ voice, trying to make sense of the situation.

“I did it. I hurt him, I killed him, it’s my fault. Everything's my fault.” He kept mumbling a string of words that didn’t make sense to either of them but no one cared anyway. Ignis and Gladio knew what they had to know.

“Come on, let go.” Gladio gently took Prompto’s wrists in his hands. Force wouldn’t help them. Prompto looked up at the other, tears streaming down his face.

“Gladio, I… I…” He didn’t make it any farther, sobs shaking him from the very core as he fell back into grieving. However, his grip loosened slightly, giving Gladio the opportunity to pry his hands away, letting Ignis do the rest.

Ignis pressed their last remaining Phoenix Down into Noctis hands and prayed to the Astrals that it wasn’t too late.

At first nothing happened at all, making Ignis let out a heaving breath, sounding too close to a sob. Then Noctis stirred, groaned and let out a pained whine.

Prompto almost screamed, shoving Gladio away again, who let him. There was no keeping Prompto away from Noctis now. He went back to clinging to Noctis but this time the other moved to bury his face in the crook of Prompto’s neck. Noctis wrapped his arms around Prompto and wasn’t planning to ever let go again.

“I’m so sorry, Noct. I’m so sorry”, Prompto said over and over again between sobs.

“You idiot.” Noctis smiled against  Prompto’s neck which just made the other cry harder. “I love you, no matter what.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr!  
> [@schattenlurch](https://www.schattenlurch.tumblr.com)  
> [@stubsel](https://www.stubsel.tumblr.com)


End file.
